A Scare
by The Official Girl Wonder
Summary: "Give one breath. Place your hands about two inches above the sternum before starting compressions in order to prevent spleen damage. Perform five chest compressions using only the heel of the hand. The CPR instructions for young children run through my subconscious. All I consciously think about is how much I'll have failed if this little girl doesn't make it."


**I wrote this months ago, and originally, there was going to be more to it, but I decided to go ahead and post it like this and only change it if I actually come up with better ideas for an ending.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Batman related, only the plot of this story.**

I disinterestedly kick the can down the filthy sidewalk as I go. It's chilly out. I'm wearing my favorite blue hoodie and a pair of jeans, but the cold still stings me. Man, I was stupid to go out without a sweater. Gotham in January is never kind…Actually, Gotham is never kind anyway, but January's the worst. For most of the world, January's great, but Gotham always has to be different, doesn't it? I guess January is so bleak in Gotham because the snow has melted, but one can still feel the bitter frost of winter. The cold without snow is terrible because it takes away distractions. When it's freezing out, you're always preoccupied by the desire for warmth. The cold makes suffering more palpable. Then, the snow masks that suffering just a little bit. The snow is the beautiful white fog obscuring the monster…giving her apparent beauty. Without the snow, there's only the cruel, freezing cold that reminds Gothamites just how wrong their lives are.

I'm usually not this philosophical, but I tend to think more when I'm out walking like this. I just had an argument with Bruce. It was nothing major. In fact, I don't even remember what the issue was at the moment. I wanted to get out of the Manor, though, so I just walked away from the estate…and kept walking until I ended up in one of the worst neighborhoods in Gotham. I have no idea how long I've been out. Bruce might be worried, but it serves him right…I'll probably feel guilty for that thought later, but right now, I'm not in the mood to feel sorry.

Oh yeah, that's right. I just remembered why I felt so bad when I left the Manor. I still don't remember what the argument was about, but I remember that Bruce wanted me to apologize in the end. Can you believe that? He's yelling at me, and I'm supposed to apologize for my "blatant disrespect". That makes a load of sense. Of course, when I come back home, he'll still be right, and I'll still be wrong. The adult is always right, and the kid is always wrong. That's not even the worst part, either. The worst part is that I probably _am_ wrong, and I just don't see it yet. I hate puberty. If I ever do anything great when I grow up, I will find a way to eliminate puberty.

My mental whining is interrupted by a scream, and I take off running in the direction from which it came. My training kicks in, and I instinctively start analyzing the scene before I get there. The screaming continues, so I can assume that the cause is an ongoing threat, and not just some lady freaking out from the sight of a mouse. Well, it might not be a lady. The voice sounded too immature. It was either a very young woman or teenage girl with poor diaphragm control…or it was a little kid. I pick up the pace.

Suddenly, the screams stop. A part of me wants to freak out because the person has probably died, but again, my years of experience tell me to find him or her. I pinpoint the deceased sound to this alleyway a few yards in front of me, and mentally prepare myself for what I'll see. Whatever it is, I'm sure I've already seen worse.

When I turn into the alley, I realize that yes, I have seen worse, but that doesn't keep me from wanting to maim whoever did this. Before me lies a girl who can't be any older than eight. She's just…so tiny. Her light brown hair has been soiled with drying blood, and her eyes are closed. A long tear adorns her green t-shirt, and through it, I see a massive stab wound that just looks so wrong on her little body. She's much too still.

I slowly walk over, and kneel down next to her. I take one of her ridiculously small wrists into my hand, and place my middle and index fingers at the base of her thumb. My eyes, which I hadn't realized where closed, grow wide. I hadn't expected to feel anything, but there's no doubting the faint, sluggish pulse that I feel. I start CPR immediately. Give one breath. Place your hands about two inches above the sternum before starting compressions in order to prevent spleen damage. Perform five chest compressions using only the heel of the hand. The CPR instructions for young children run through my subconscious. All I consciously think about is how much I'll have failed if this little girl doesn't make it.

I'm supposed to do this for one minute, and then call an ambulance. However, an ambulance won't get here on time, not to mention that I'm not actually sure what address to give them. There are no street signs in this area for some reason. Knowing this, I desperately continue CPR for an extra minute, and then I give up. I'm breathing hard by the time I finish. I was too late…and they call Robin a hero.

I'm about to accept defeat and walk away when I hear the slightest cough. Who knew that a cough could give me so much joy? By the time I process what I just heard, she's still and quiet again…No, wait, she just coughed again!

Soon enough, she's having a full on coughing fit, and I have to use my jacket sleeve to keep her blood from spewing everywhere. When she finally quiets down, she opens her eyes. Bright green irises and dilated pupils stare blankly at the sky for a moment. Then they look around frantically until they find me. I look back at her, and I know we're thinking the same thing. We're amazed that she's alive.

She tries to speak, but no noise comes out. So, I speak for her.

"Hi…You gave me a scare."

**Please review!**

**My original plan was to make this longer, and kill off the little girl at the end, but this works just as well, if not better.**

**And don't say I'm cruel for planning to kill her off! That's just where the story was going at the time!**

**Again, review!**


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